In various surgical interventions bone plates are initially fastened provisionally to a bone or bone fragment, then detached and in a further step finally fixed to the bone or bone fragment. Such a technique is used e.g. in the field of oral surgery when a removed bone segment has to be bridged by the bone plate.
Before removal of the bone segment the bone plate is generally fastened provisionally to the bone by means of suitable fastening elements such as bone screws. The purpose of this provisional fastening is to determine subsequent, final positions of the fastening elements and to mark them on the bone.
After provisional fastening of the bone plate, the latter is detached and then the bone segment is removed. The bone plate is then repositioned in a position in which it bridges the removed bone segment, and is fastened to the bone. Fastening of the bone plate is effected by disposing fastening elements at the positions of the bone, which were determined during provisional fastening of the bone plate. It is thereby ensured that the remaining bones adopt exactly the same position relative to one another as they did prior to removal of the bone segment.
The underlying object of the invention is to indicate a system which facilitates the performance of surgical interventions such as e.g. the removal of a bone segment. A further object underlying the invention is to indicate an improved method of surgically removing a bone segment.